The different sūtras in accord with the emptiness
taught by the Sugata are definitive in meaning;
One can understand that all of those Dharmas in
which a sentient being, individual, or person are taught are provisional in meaning.

Malcolm,
a few questions if you don't mind indulging...
1. Out of all the Dzogchen texts/Tantras out there that have not been translated what made you choose this one?

2. Could you do a contrast compare between this work and the Choying Dzod? Not to say that one is better but to highlight the differing focus of each text

3. Would this be a good complementary companion for studies/practice of the Choying Dzod?

Thank you for your time!

"But if you know how to observe yourself, you will discover your real nature, the primordial state, the state of Guruyoga, and then all will become clear because you will have discovered everything"-Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

Just got my copy a couple of days ago....wow..have only read through the introduction....wow...so many gaps have been filled that I didnt even know I had! Of course will have to reread this many times as the content is chock full of cool stuff. So anybody who has been thinking about buying this...do it..sell your dog, your car, hell, sell your mother if you have to...its worth it!

"But if you know how to observe yourself, you will discover your real nature, the primordial state, the state of Guruyoga, and then all will become clear because you will have discovered everything"-Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

The different sūtras in accord with the emptiness
taught by the Sugata are definitive in meaning;
One can understand that all of those Dharmas in
which a sentient being, individual, or person are taught are provisional in meaning.

Fa Dao wrote:Malcolm,
a few questions if you don't mind indulging...
1. Out of all the Dzogchen texts/Tantras out there that have not been translated what made you choose this one?

2. Could you do a contrast compare between this work and the Choying Dzod? Not to say that one is better but to highlight the differing focus of each text

3. Would this be a good complementary companion for studies/practice of the Choying Dzod?

Thank you for your time!

Choying Dzod is largely considered a commentary on the view of the so called mind series. As such, it mainly concerns the topic of the basis.

your book seems to have considerably more breadth to it....gotta say it again...so many "gaps" that are being filled....know what I mean? I know now why you chose this...

"But if you know how to observe yourself, you will discover your real nature, the primordial state, the state of Guruyoga, and then all will become clear because you will have discovered everything"-Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

Fa Dao wrote:Malcolm,
a few questions if you don't mind indulging...
1. Out of all the Dzogchen texts/Tantras out there that have not been translated what made you choose this one?

2. Could you do a contrast compare between this work and the Choying Dzod? Not to say that one is better but to highlight the differing focus of each text

3. Would this be a good complementary companion for studies/practice of the Choying Dzod?

Thank you for your time!

Choying Dzod is largely considered a commentary on the view of the so called mind series. As such, it mainly concerns the topic of the basis.

your book seems to have considerably more breadth to it....gotta say it again...so many "gaps" that are being filled....know what I mean? I know now why you chose this...

It chose me. It was part of the four volume cycle of the Gongs pa zang thal. Though Longchenpa's tshig don mdzod has many more citations, it is not fundamentally different than this text, and excludes topics such as the nidana section, and so on.

The different sūtras in accord with the emptiness
taught by the Sugata are definitive in meaning;
One can understand that all of those Dharmas in
which a sentient being, individual, or person are taught are provisional in meaning.

Fa Dao wrote:Malcolm,
a few questions if you don't mind indulging...
1. Out of all the Dzogchen texts/Tantras out there that have not been translated what made you choose this one?

2. Could you do a contrast compare between this work and the Choying Dzod? Not to say that one is better but to highlight the differing focus of each text

3. Would this be a good complementary companion for studies/practice of the Choying Dzod?

Thank you for your time!

Choying Dzod is largely considered a commentary on the view of the so called mind series. As such, it mainly concerns the topic of the basis.

your book seems to have considerably more breadth to it....gotta say it again...so many "gaps" that are being filled....know what I mean? I know now why you chose this...

gotta tell ya man...the way you laid out the introduction....very nice...like a preview of coming attractions...please consider doing it that way in the future on all of your translation work..makes it easier for "regular" folks to "get it"...know what I mean?

"But if you know how to observe yourself, you will discover your real nature, the primordial state, the state of Guruyoga, and then all will become clear because you will have discovered everything"-Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

Malcolm wrote:
Choying Dzod is largely considered a commentary on the view of the so called mind series. As such, it mainly concerns the topic of the basis.

your book seems to have considerably more breadth to it....gotta say it again...so many "gaps" that are being filled....know what I mean? I know now why you chose this...

gotta tell ya man...the way you laid out the introduction....very nice...like a preview of coming attractions...please consider doing it that way in the future on all of your translation work..makes it easier for "regular" folks to "get it"...know what I mean?

The different sūtras in accord with the emptiness
taught by the Sugata are definitive in meaning;
One can understand that all of those Dharmas in
which a sentient being, individual, or person are taught are provisional in meaning.

I am..however I have a question...does one need to know/understand all of the topics to be able to accomplish rainbow body? Hasnt there been regular people who werent brainiacs like Vimalamitra, Vairocana, and Padmasambhava who realized rainbow body?

"But if you know how to observe yourself, you will discover your real nature, the primordial state, the state of Guruyoga, and then all will become clear because you will have discovered everything"-Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

Fa Dao wrote:I am..however I have a question...does one need to know/understand all of the topics to be able to accomplish rainbow body? Hasnt there been regular people who werent brainiacs like Vimalamitra, Vairocana, and Padmasambhava who realized rainbow body?

The unelaborated topics are for those who do not need the more elaborate approach. It is in the book.

The different sūtras in accord with the emptiness
taught by the Sugata are definitive in meaning;
One can understand that all of those Dharmas in
which a sentient being, individual, or person are taught are provisional in meaning.

Malcolm - this may be an overly broad question, but I'm curious - what would you consider as the essential reading list for a practitioner? What is the minimum set of texts that someone should have received and be familiar with, irrespective of which particular lineage of teachings they practice?

PeterC wrote:Malcolm - this may be an overly broad question, but I'm curious - what would you consider as the essential reading list for a practitioner? What is the minimum set of texts that someone should have received and be familiar with, irrespective of which particular lineage of teachings they practice?

The different sūtras in accord with the emptiness
taught by the Sugata are definitive in meaning;
One can understand that all of those Dharmas in
which a sentient being, individual, or person are taught are provisional in meaning.

PeterC wrote:Malcolm - this may be an overly broad question, but I'm curious - what would you consider as the essential reading list for a practitioner? What is the minimum set of texts that someone should have received and be familiar with, irrespective of which particular lineage of teachings they practice?

Impossible to answer such a broad question.

I should have specified atiyoga practitioner - is there a core of Kama texts you would consider essential to have received and studied, or would it just be 'all of them'?

PeterC wrote:Malcolm - this may be an overly broad question, but I'm curious - what would you consider as the essential reading list for a practitioner? What is the minimum set of texts that someone should have received and be familiar with, irrespective of which particular lineage of teachings they practice?

I am very interested also in Malcolm response about this: an essential reading list for a practitioner of Dzogchen.

Also an essential reading list for a practitioner of Tantra would be great, with a focus on different school: Sakya/Lamdre, Kagyu/Six Naro Yogas, Jonang/Kalachakra, Gelug/Guhyasamaja, etc.